Perth Airport Unveils Vision for Multibillion-Dollar Terminal

“A good airport moves passengers efficiently, but a great airport also gives them a sense of the destination they are in,” he said.

“Ultimately, the new terminal will strengthen Perth’s position as Australia’s western gateway and generate new opportunities for the state.”

Waters said the design embedded Western Australia’s landscapes, climate, light and First Nations cultural knowledge into the architecture.

▲ Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters said the design of the new terminal is place-based.

Procurement for the project has entered a request for tender phase that Waters anticipated would lead to a contract being awarded in 2027.

Waters said the new terminal was a major part of bringing all commercial flight services into one precinct to create easier transfers and better access to terminals, parking and ground transport. 

Designed by Woods Bagot, the architectural vision “Big Sky/Deep Earth” is drawn from the relationship between the vast WA sky and Whadjuk Noongar country.

The 159,000sq m terminal will have a floor area equivalent to nine Australian Football League ovals—25 per cent larger than the existing Terminal 1 and 2 combined.

▲ The new Perth Airport terminal takes design cues from the wide open landscapes of Western Australia.

Perth Airport served a record 18.4 million passengers in 2025-26, and by 2045-46, passenger numbers are forecast to reach 30.8 million.

Existing international terminal turns 40

Meanwhile, the airport’s existing international Terminal 1 has turned 40.

Opened on October 25 in 1986 by WA-raised Prime Minister Bob Hawke, the terminal was built to meet the growing demands of a developing state and to welcome visitors arriving for the America’s Cup in Fremantle.

“The milestone was an opportunity to reflect on how far the airport had come, while looking ahead to the next stage of growth,” Waters said.

“T1 International has played a central role in opening Western Australia to the world over the past 40 years.

“International travel is now a critical part of Western Australia’s economy, supporting tourism, resources, education, agriculture and business connections across the world.”

Holiday Inn Future for Singapore Airlines House

In another aviation and tourism related development, the former Singapore Airlines House in Perth’s CBD will be converted to a 103-room Holiday Inn Hotel.

Hotel giant IHG and developer SKS Group are teaming up to convert the office block at 178 St Georges Terrace into a hotel called Holiday Inn Express Perth City Centre.

▲ The former Singapore Airlines House on St Georges Terrace is in line to become a Holiday Inn hotel.

The project is SKS Group’s second hotel with IHG in Australia, following the 170-room Holiday Inn Express in the southern Perth City of Cockburn, that is due to open next month.

SKS Group director Eugene Lim said there was significant long-term opportunity in Perth’s hotel sector.

 Singapore Airlines House, a nine-storey office block, was completed 60 years ago and refurbished in the 1990s. SKS paid $9.5 million for the asset, which has 3207sq m of space on a 560sq m site.